ONE EARTH, MANY RIVERS, ONE GLOBAL SOCIETY

2015, La Crosse, USA

The 4th Biennial Symposium of the International Society for River Science (ISRS) 2015 was hosted by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse River Studies Center in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center, Winona State University Large River Studies Center, and the University of New England, Australia.

The 2015 ISRS conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin, focused on the theme of connectivity to, within, and among riverine landscapes; explore the geomorphic, chemical, and biological implications of connectivity in rivers; and also develop broader themes of human social and cultural connectivity mediated by river systems throughout the world.h

River connectivity is a fundamental defining character of rivers, the movement of water and water-carried materials connect local and distant habitats and landscapes. The ecology and geomorphology of river systems are formed, maintained, and continuously changed by these flow-induced connections. Likewise, local and regional economies and cultures are influenced and sustained by connections to rivers. Conflicts over river resources and river-defined boundaries divide human cultures, while resource harvest, recreation and transport unite cultures.